Polish Sausage

I have enjoyed a lot fine eating following the suggestions of fellow LTHers over the past few months. After my bi-weekly run for Polish Sausage yesterday, I thought that LTHers might enjoy trying some exceptional Polish. The store is 7-9-11 and it is located at 4884 Archer Ave. It is nothing to look at on the outside, nor, frankly on the inside either. It has a sign in the window proclaiming over 2 million pounds sold over 50 years. They offer smoked and fresh sausage. I like the smoked. It is a thick, rich and garlicy and cooks up nicely in water or on the grill. Friends who like the fresh claim that 7-9-11 makes terrific fresh as well. I've been comming here for over 15 years based on the recommendation of a Polish friend from this neighborhood. If you try 7-9-11, let me know what you think.

thick wrote:IThe store is 7-9-11 and it is located at 4884 Archer Ave. It is nothing to look at on the outside, nor, frankly on the inside either. It has a sign in the window proclaiming over 2 million pounds sold over 50 years. They offer smoked and fresh sausage.

Ah, a visit to my neighborhood! 7-9-11 does have a very nice Polish. I actually prefer going a little bit up Archer to Gilmart (5050 S. Archer) or Dunajec (5062 S. Archer) for sausage. All three are fine, though.

Incidentally, 7-9-11 was somewhat known in the neighborhood when I was a teenager, because Jenny McCarthy worked as a cashier there before she got her big break with Playboy.

I have to second the recomendation of Dunajec. I think that they make a very good polish sausage. I think that I am in the minority in my area as I don't prefer Bobak's. The smoked that Bobak's has is not terrible but I really don't enjoy their fresh sausage very much at all. I also tried their 'grilling' sausage this summer and it has a very strong and hard to describe after taste.

There is also a Dunajec on Harlem Ave in Bridgeview but I've never been in nor do I know if they are affiliated with the one on Archer Ave.



Bobak's
5275 S. Archer Ave
Chicago, IL
773.735.5334

Erzsi wrote:I have to second the recomendation of Dunajec. I think that they make a very good polish sausage. I think that I am in the minority in my area as I don't prefer Bobak's.

Well, there are a lot of Polish folk who will tell you that Bobak's is not the best. I certainly agree with you that their fresh sausage is mediocre.

However, judging by your name, I'm assuming you're either Hungarian or have Hungarian connections. Know any good places to get a debreceni in Chicagoland?

Binko wrote:

Erzsi wrote:I have to second the recomendation of Dunajec. I think that they make a very good polish sausage. I think that I am in the minority in my area as I don't prefer Bobak's.

Well, there are a lot of Polish folk who will tell you that Bobak's is not the best. I certainly agree with you that their fresh sausage is mediocre.

However, judging by your name, I'm assuming you're either Hungarian or have Hungarian connections. Know any good places to get a debreceni in Chicagoland?

Unfortunately the only place that I've had any luck in the past getting Debreceni at is Bende. The strange thing about that is that getting it via their location in Vernon Hills is very hit or miss. I called the Glen Ellyn location today because I needed to get a few other things and they say that they do have it in stock. I'm going to head out there sometime prior to the weekend and I'm going to see if they have it because I'd like to make some Jokai Bableves with that particular sausage.

I've had a good luck in the past getting Bende to carry things for me. The last few years at Christmas time their selection of szaloncukor has been very poor. I talked to one of the managers there and this year they ordered a huge selection to choose from. Which unfortunately meant that I spent around $30+ on it for the tree.

I wish that I could get two places to carry the same things. I was trying to talk the people at Bende in to carrying Mititei but they don't seem to want to, and the place that I get it at in the city doesn't know how to make the Debrceni.

Have you tried Joe's Meats on Western? He's Hungarian, and makes some killer sausages--including andouille. I'm not familiar with debreceni, although I've probably had it from Joe's and just didn't know what to call it. He makes a variety of Hungarian sausages.

Caveat emptor: Joe is a talkative, unusual dude. I spent an hour and a half there once because he wanted to give me a tour of the place, which was very cool. He bear-hugged my mom from across the counter once, which kinda scared her. Another time, he absolutely insisted that millions of people were going to die in some horrific accident--based on some weird premonition he had. Like I said...kinda kooky, but the sausage is worth the weirdness.

Joe's Meats
4452 N. Western

(It's conveniently located down the street from The Cheese Stands Alone...if you want some cheese to go with your sausage).

crrush wrote:Have you tried Joe's Meats on Western? He's Hungarian, and makes some killer sausages--including andouille. I'm not familiar with debreceni, although I've probably had it from Joe's and just didn't know what to call it. He makes a variety of Hungarian sausages.

Caveat emptor: Joe is a talkative, unusual dude. I spent an hour and a half there once because he wanted to give me a tour of the place, which was very cool. He bear-hugged my mom from across the counter once, which kinda scared her. Another time, he absolutely insisted that millions of people were going to die in some horrific accident--based on some weird premonition he had. Like I said...kinda kooky, but the sausage is worth the weirdness.

Joe's Meats
4452 N. Western

(It's conveniently located down the street from The Cheese Stands Alone...if you want some cheese to go with your sausage).

I haven't ever been to Joe's Meats but I believe that I just might have to try to get up there this weekend. I'll be curious to find out if he carries or makes the Mititei. I'm not sure exactly how popular that particular sausage is with Hungarians from Hungary. It's a Romanian Garlic sausage that's very popular with people from Transylvania. In the summertime at our BBQ's we go through a lot of that stuff!

Thanks for the heads up.

Erzsi wrote:I've had a good luck in the past getting Bende to carry things for me. The last few years at Christmas time their selection of szaloncukor has been very poor. I talked to one of the managers there and this year they ordered a huge selection to choose from. Which unfortunately meant that I spent around $30+ on it for the tree.

I wish that I could get two places to carry the same things. I was trying to talk the people at Bende in to carrying Mititei but they don't seem to want to, and the place that I get it at in the city doesn't know how to make the Debrceni.

I had no idea that szaloncukor was even sold around here. I guess I'm gonna have to trek up there one of these days to see what they got at Bende. They don't by any chance carry Túró Rudi do they? (For others reading, that's a tube of sweetened curd cheese covered in chocolate. A Hungarian candy bar of sorts).

As for Mititei, I've never heard of it, and I'm guessing you're right that it must not be popular in Hungary, because I've never seen it there (although, to be honest, I never was on the lookout for it). Where would I get it in the city should I like to try some (I'm a bit of a sausage fanatic, I must confess).

HI,

Strictly seasonal, Club 81, Too on the southeast side makes a homemade Polish sausage before Christmas. Erik M, Rene G and I picked some up in December, 2004, it was coarsely ground with lots of garlic.

Peoria Packing House sells Polish as well as Italian and Hot Links. I've never bought the Polish but the Hot Links were delicious. PPH sells these sausages fresh as well as frozen in 5 pound boxes. When I was there last week, they had a 2-for-1 sale on frozen hot links (sausage type rotates). I bought 10 pounds frozen hot links for $5, while fresh was approximately $1.60 per pound. I didn't notice this deal until Gary alerted me to it.

Regards,

Binko wrote:I had no idea that szaloncukor was even sold around here. I guess I'm gonna have to trek up there one of these days to see what they got at Bende. They don't by any chance carry Túró Rudi do they? (For others reading, that's a tube of sweetened curd cheese covered in chocolate. A Hungarian candy bar of sorts).

As for Mititei, I've never heard of it, and I'm guessing you're right that it must not be popular in Hungary, because I've never seen it there (although, to be honest, I never was on the lookout for it). Where would I get it in the city should I like to try some (I'm a bit of a sausage fanatic, I must confess).

I do not believe that there is a word in Hungarian for Mititei, we think that it might be spelled Mics (sounds like Mitch in English) or the other name for it might be Csevapcsicse (which is probably from Czech or Polish). I believe if you call Lalich Deli they do carry it.

Lalich Deli
4208 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630


Unfortunately Bende doesn't seem to carry Turo Rudi. We went out there tonight and I noticed that they had some other bars of Hungarian candy though. I hadn't noticed it on previous visits. We assume that you can't get Turo Rudi here because it'd spoil in transit.

They do have Debreceni sausage, it's fresh. They also told me there is a fully smoked 'dry' version but they don't make that at this point in time. It's sold vaccum packed with 4 pieces per package for a little over $2 per package.



Here's a view of the back of the package so you can judge the size better.



Lastly here's a picture of some of the Hungarian candy we got to try.

Erzsi wrote:I do not believe that there is a word in Hungarian for Mititei, we think that it might be spelled Mics (sounds like Mitch in English) or the other name for it might be Csevapcsicse (which is probably from Czech or Polish).

I don't know Mics, but csevapcsice is the Magyar version of čevapčići, aka čevapi, a Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian sausage. (And čevap ultimately derives from "kebab.")

Unfortunately Bende doesn't seem to carry Turo Rudi. We went out there tonight and I noticed that they had some other bars of Hungarian candy though. I hadn't noticed it on previous visits. We assume that you can't get Turo Rudi here because it'd spoil in transit.

Good point--I hadn't even thought of that...Although from my experience Turo Rudi do seem to have a decent shelf life.

They do have Debreceni sausage, it's fresh. They also told me there is a fully smoked 'dry' version but they don't make that at this point in time. It's sold vaccum packed with 4 pieces per package for a little over $2 per package.

Looks yummy. I will check it out this weekend, if I have the time. Thanks!

Interesting about mics. Aliments Balkani, in the Montreal Jean-Talon marché, sells grilled mici sausages--which they say are Romanian--in front of the shop every weekend, along with a couple of other kinds of Mittel Europa sausages. They're AWfully good, lots of garlic, served on a toasted bread with mild sweet Romanian mustard. The two just have to be related somehow...

http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en-CA ... 06&CatID=3


Geo[/b]

Geo wrote:Interesting about mics. Aliments Balkani, in the Montreal Jean-Talon marché, sells grilled mici sausages--which they say are Romanian--in front of the shop every weekend, along with a couple of other kinds of Mittel Europa sausages. They're AWfully good, lots of garlic, served on a toasted bread with mild sweet Romanian mustard. The two just have to be related somehow...

http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en-CA ... 06&CatID=3


Geo[/b]

They're definately Romanian. They're really popular in the Transylvanian region. Hungarians are the largest minority in all of Romania making up around 30% of the population. Transylvania is probably the 'most' Hungarian area of the country and I think that the Hungarians haven't really adapted a word for the sausage in their native tongue.

Apparently the 'secret' to making good mics is using baking soda. I've had it home made from relatives before and even assisted them in making it. Unfortunately my sausages sort of come out looking really misshapen.

I've been looking online for recipes of mitetei and it seems that they're the Romanian take on cevapcici (or I suppose you can say it's the other way around). The recipes are very similar, if not identical in certain cases, the only difference I can find is that cevapcici recipes often contain onion, but mitetei recipes do not seem to, and mitetei recipes are occasionally flavored with spices and herbs like clove and thyme, while cevapi normally aren't.

So, it seems like same basic idea, different ways of serving it, different countries, different names.

Lincoln Quality Meat Market carries mitetei, which they also refer to as Romanian cevapcici. They are very garlicy. Note that they are pretty near Joe's and The Cheese Stands Alone.

Lincoln Quality Meat Market
4661 North Lincoln Avenue

WANTED

I hope some of you can help me with a Hungarian sausage question. These pictures are from the West Side Market in Cleveland. I am looking for these in Chicago: (sorry for the bad lighting and glare, I was trying to be discreet)



Any ideas where I can find this in Chicago? Thanks!
BTW, that double-smoked bacon is really good.

Rich4's pictures look a lot like some things at Joe's. He sells a dry Hungarian sausage that does not need cooking and another variety for cooking. Both are heavily smoked. Joe does some terrific heavily smoked bacon and chunks of pork, too. Reality could differ from the pictures, but I would love for Rich4 to try and comment.

Joe really loves smoking meat and may overdo it for some tastes. Several years ago he did some smoked lamb, which was quite good but apparently didn't sell well enough to repeat.

Joe's Sausages and Meats
4452 North Western